Small business newswire

Smallbusiness.com News Wire tracks small business-related news, features, and small business blogger commentary.

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1 Economy
2 Policy
3 HR
4 Technology
5 Startup
6 Marketing
7 Management
8 Finance and Accounting
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Economy

Credit Standards Toughen on Small Business Loans | Inc.com: Small business owners are getting turned away by banks in greater numbers, lenders and policy experts say.
Obama outlines rebuilding plans to create jobs | AP: President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday outlined his plan to create 2.5 million jobs in coming years to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars.
Replace the 'Big Three' with 500 new car companies, make that 1,000 | Seth Godin: Not only should Congress encourage/facilitate the organized bankruptcy of the Big Three, but it should also make it easy for them to be replaced by 500 new car companies.
Jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 16-year high | AP: New claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to a 16-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, providing more evidence of a rapidly weakening job market expected to get even worse next year.
Surviving a Downturn Through Outsourcing | Kiplinger.com: Outsourcing in tough times can make it easier to ratchet production up or down without carrying bottom-line-crushing overhead.

Policy

Obama outlines rebuilding plans to create jobs | AP: President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday outlined his plan to create 2.5 million jobs in coming years to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars.
NFIB says 'Auto Bailout a No Go for Small Businesses' | NFIB.com: 'Any taxpayer dollars provided to the Big Three must come with specific conditions, starting with top-to-bottom scrutiny of everything from the effectiveness of current management to the nature of their union and supplier contracts.'
Some Academics Are Hostile to Small Business | The Entrepreneurial Mind: Small business' role is attacked by some who want more government directed economic policies toward business formation.
Expect Obama to Govern from the Center | Kiplinger.com: Obama is already signaling moderation, telling business and labor leaders, for example, that he won't rush on key issues that divide them.
Obama's economic agenda could affect small business | USATODAY.com: A new Democratic administration and Congress means that 27 million U.S. small-business owners ? already shaken badly by the economic slump ? could face an array of new issues, from potentially higher taxes to costlier workplace benefits.

HR

Jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 16-year high | AP: New claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to a 16-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, providing more evidence of a rapidly weakening job market expected to get even worse next year.
Integrating Social Media into Employee Training | BusinessWeek: Combining a learning management system with an online social community can create an incentive for employees from all departments to participate and helps foster better, deeper, and perpetual learning by marrying formal with informal learning.
401(k)s: Employer Contributions Get the Ax | BusinessWeek: Desperate to cut costs, more and more companies are eliminating their matching contributions to employee 401(k) plans
Workday Spending Down | Inc.: The economic downturn is forcing many employees to curtail their workday spending habits, according to a recent Vault.com survey.
How to Motivate Your Employees During Tough Times | Inc.com: Even when budgets are tight, there are ways to reward and recognize employees without spending a lot of money.

Technology

Small Businesses Are America's Innovators | SBA Office of Advocacy: Small businesses are the innovators of the American economy as they obtain many more patents per employee than larger firms, according to a study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Microsoft Rolls Out New Small Business Server Options | Small Business Computing: Microsoft has announced new server software that it said provides small and medium businesses with enterprise-quality capabilities while helping them to save money, increase productivity and grow their businesses.
How to Use the Web to Find Sales Leads | Kiplinger.com: Job One in building a list of sales leads from your Web site is drawing people to it. But Job Two is getting them to leave contact information.
A New Search Tool for Small Business Loans and Grants | Business.gov: Business.gov, the business-related portal for government information and services for businesses, has launched a new search tool for businesses seeking loan or grant sources.
Consumers Aren't Shopping Online, Either | Bits Blog - NYTimes.com: The rate of growth of ecommerce has slowed during the overall slump in consumer spending. Many e-commerce sites benefited from the last downturn, in part because e-commerce sites could buy online advertising more cheaply as ad sales slumped.

Startup

Replace the 'Big Three' with 500 new car companies, make that 1,000 | Seth Godin: Not only should Congress encourage/facilitate the organized bankruptcy of the Big Three, but it should also make it easy for them to be replaced by 500 new car companies.
Who becomes self-employed? | Daniel Pink: The self-employed tend to have slightly lower grade point averages (GPAs) than their wage-and-salary peers.? The students with the best grades were more likely to seek work in the not-for-profit or government sector.
Small Businesses Are America's Innovators | SBA Office of Advocacy: Small businesses are the innovators of the American economy as they obtain many more patents per employee than larger firms, according to a study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Entrepreneurship Education Should Involve Doing, Not Just Studying | Dr. Jeff Cornwall: Aspiring entrepreneurs should not wait until their formal education is finished to translate their passion into creating new businesses. Don't think of it as a sequential process -- first the education, then pursue opportunity.
Older entrepreneurs have experience, resources on their side | Los Angeles Times: A new wave of baby boomer entrepreneurs likely to be unleashed by the current economic turmoil will be an important force in eventually pushing the economy onto safer ground, some experts say.

Marketing

How to Use the Web to Find Sales Leads | Kiplinger.com: Job One in building a list of sales leads from your Web site is drawing people to it. But Job Two is getting them to leave contact information.
Consumers Aren't Shopping Online, Either | Bits Blog - NYTimes.com: The rate of growth of ecommerce has slowed during the overall slump in consumer spending. Many e-commerce sites benefited from the last downturn, in part because e-commerce sites could buy online advertising more cheaply as ad sales slumped.
It May Not Be a Bad Time for Small Businesses to Raise Prices | NYTimes.com: Some small-business experts are offering advice that may sound counterintuitive in this slowing economy. Now, they argue, may be the perfect time to increase your marketing budget ? and even your prices.
Social networking sites good for businesses | Reuters: A British think-tank says bosses should not stop their staff using social networking sites because they could actually benefit their firms.
Workday Spending Down | Inc.: The economic downturn is forcing many employees to curtail their workday spending habits, according to a recent Vault.com survey.

Management

Surviving a Downturn Through Outsourcing | Kiplinger.com: Outsourcing in tough times can make it easier to ratchet production up or down without carrying bottom-line-crushing overhead.
In this Downturn, Employers Cut Jobs Rather than Pay | BusinessWeek: By raising pay while cutting jobs, companies can "thin the herd" while giving remaining workers "the big corporate hug they need."
Tired of Negative News? Here are 10 Benefits of a Recession | Michael Hyatt: If you are tired of reading about bailouts, bankruptcies, and poor earnings, here's some uplifting thoughts from the CEO of one of the largest book publishers in the U.S.
Even When On Your Own, Continue Professional Development | Lifehacker.com: When you work from home or as a freelancer, one aspect of business life you may be giving up is your own professional development and training. Fortunately, there are ways to effectively and efficiently train yourself, growing your education on your own.
The Secret to Business Productivity | Forbes.com: Companies that maintain a decent level of productivity are rewarded more than those that hit higher highs but can't sustain them.

Finance and Accounting

Credit Standards Toughen on Small Business Loans | Inc.com: Small business owners are getting turned away by banks in greater numbers, lenders and policy experts say.
SBA Announces Plan to Thaw Small-Business Loans | wsj.com: These changes to the SBA loan program will help free up capital so lenders can continue to make SBA-backed loans, said Eric Zarnikow, associate administrator of SBA?s Office of Capital Access
401(k)s: Employer Contributions Get the Ax | BusinessWeek: Desperate to cut costs, more and more companies are eliminating their matching contributions to employee 401(k) plans
Paulson Says Treasury Is Shifting Focus of Bailout | NYTimes.com: The 'bailout' will now focus on ways to bolster the financial markets and, in turn, make loans more accessible for creditworthy borrowers seeking car loans, student loans and other kinds of borrowing.
Small Firms Getting Local Loans | WSJ.com: Small businesses have been having increasing trouble getting loans as the credit markets have seized up. But some are finding that smaller community banks and credit unions are more open to offering financing.